


Hostile Takeover

by 68hawkeye_fan



Series: Originals & SHIELD Agents [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Avengers (2012), Pre-Canon, Pre-The Originals, Pre-The Vampire Diaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:14:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25506514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/68hawkeye_fan/pseuds/68hawkeye_fan
Summary: Strike team Delta investigates an unknown and new crime boss, who erases the memories of FBI undercover agents. They just have his name, Klaus Mikaelson. In the course of their investigation, they meet his enigmatic half-brother, Elijah Smith.
Series: Originals & SHIELD Agents [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1918066
Comments: 12
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It is so annoying when you have a plot bunny, which simply doesn’t shut up and you have to write it. The second chapter is already finished but I have to proofread it. I don’t think this story will be more than three or four chapters. I hope *rolls eyes!

Coulson had called Barton and Romanoff to his office to discuss a new assignment for Strike team Delta.

After everyone had made himself comfortable, Coulson got down to business. “It looks like there is a gang war going on in New York City. In the last year a new player tried to get a piece of the cake. He goes about it quietly and discreet, he is taking great care that no innocent bystanders are harmed. Of course the media reports the about the gang war but as long as no innocents are killed…” Coulson shrugged meaningful.  
“The new gang is interested in drugs and weapons but oddly enough not in human trafficking or prostitution. Their boss is acting pretty brutal against his rivals. Retaliation has already occurred but all those attacks have failed and hostile takeovers followed that have all succeeded. Fury believes that there is more to this case and gave me a few months ago the task of finding out more about this new crime boss.”

“Wouldn't that be more up to the FBI's jurisdiction?” Natasha asked confused.

“The FBI asked for our help. Any undercover agent they planted into the new organization got discovered. Interestingly enough, none of these agents got killed but all of them have serious gaps in their memory that sometimes go over months. Every information, they had gathered and it is beyond doubt that they had it, was taken away from them, be it memories or written reports.”

“So either he found one 084 or he is an enhanced person”, said Barton, who became increasingly interested in the new assignment.

“Most likely, because there is no evidence of drugs or torture to extract their information. We suspect that it is the new gang boss who owns the item or has this ability. We know nothing about him, no photo, no documents, really nothing. It is as if he emerged from nowhere. Nobody wants to talk about him, even the toughest criminals become pale and silent. The only thing we've about him is his name, Klaus Mikealson. At least this was the case until yesterday.” Coulson projected a bank statement onto the wall.

Barton whistled when he saw the amount of money on the account. “Impressive.”

“It is an old account, almost 300 years old. Money gets rarely withdrawn from it, but when, it is always millions. In the first fifty years of the last century money got withdrawn several times, the last withdrawal took place in 1946, after that there was no account movements for more than 50 years.  
Four account numbers are assigned to the account, which identify who withdraws the money. One of these identification numbers was used 3 months ago for a criminal transaction that we could clearly pin on Klaus Mikealson. Upon closer inspection of the account, it turned out that he appeared to be the only one who used it regularly.”

“Until yesterday”, Natasha guessed.

“Until yesterday.” Coulson nodded. “Yesterday, somebody withdrew $ 30 million to buy an apartment in one of New York City's most expensive buildings, where only residents with old money are welcome. The buyer is this man.” A photo of a young man appeared.  
“His name is Elijah Smith, 29 years old, author and historian, travels all over the world. Comes from a rich family but nothing we have about him, raises any red flags for us, he has a good reputation, good references, nothing suspicious-looking.”

“Why does he have access to this account?” asked Natasha curious.

“It is a family account, not a business account.”

“So he and Klaus Mikaelson belong to the same family or he is Klaus Mikaelson”, Natasha concluded.

“Unlikely because he uses a different identification number”, replied Coulson. “It doesn't fit that Mikaelson would leave hints to another identity.”

“Will SHIELD lock the account?” Clint asked curiously.

“Unfortunately this is no longer possible. Whoever set it up was smart and knew exactly what he was doing. Nobody can access this account, be it through legal or illegal measures, without needing much time for it. We can count ourselves lucky that we were even able to get so little information from the bank.”  
Coulson made a face. “Second, the account holders were promptly informed of the disclosure of this information. In response, the account was closed, all funds withdrawn, and moved to hundreds of different accounts. Our finance department tried to follow the cash flow but had to give up pretty quickly.”

“Did we find out who gave the instructions?” asked Natasha thoughtful.

“Yes, they came from Mister Smith's identification number. We are now monitoring all his contacts with other people but there is no hint of an exchange between him and Mikaelson and no hint in which way he and Klaus Mikaelson are connected.” Coulson shrugged. “His actions were quick but all his measures were legal.”

“What is our mission?” Barton asked.

“Pepper Potts' invited Elijah Smith a few weeks ago to a fundraising event and he accepted the invitation. The two know each other, apparently he helped her a while ago. He exposed through his expertise as historian a fake painting and saved so a museum, whose board she belongs to, a lot of money.  
After I found this connection I asked Pepper for her help and she agreed. She invited Natasha and me as guests and will introduce us to Smith. Barton, you will work as a waiter and keep an eye on everything!”

“Okay, boss.” Barton suddenly laughed. “Will Stark be there too?”

“Probably not! Charity is not something he is interested in.” Coulson shrugged.

“True, the well-being of other people is not close to his heart”, Natasha agreed. “If he comes, it's only because of the free alcohol or because Pepper has persuaded him to come.”

“Natasha, you try to get to know Smith and find out how he know Mikaelson”, ordered Coulson.

“How far should I go?” asked Natasha matter-of-factly.

“As always, it's up to you. As I said, until now we have nothing to suggest that Smith is in any way involved in Klaus Mikaelson's crimes. I just want to meet him so that I can assess him.”

“Ok, boss.”

The three agents then discussed everything else that was required for the job.

*****

Pepper greeted Phil and Natasha warmly. “Phil, Natasha, so beautiful that you could come.” She greeted them with kisses on the cheek. “You both look stunning.”

“I can only return the compliment, Pepper.” Phil smiled at the CEO of Stark Industries. “How's the party going?”

“Very good, everyone donates for the good cause.” Pepper smiled. “Elijah hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Are you sure he will come?” Phil asked worriedly.

“He promised and he is always careful to keep his promises.” Pepper shrugged.

“What can you tell me about him?” Natasha asked, she searched for a starting point to make a connection with her target.

Pepper frowned. “I like him but he is quite enigmatic. His family has money, but he isn’t arrogant or a snob because of it, he works hard for his living. He has a little business too, which produces important components for the computer industry. He is fair in his business relationships and pedantically keeps his contracts he makes and he expects the same from everyone else.

Obie once tried to break a treaty with Elijah, which didn't go very well for him. Elijah’s reaction to this transgression cost Stark Industries a lot of money, prestige, and contracts, he seems very petty this way.” Pepper shrugged, she was not particularly troubled by Elijah’s reaction.

"Tony tried to resume business several times after Obie's death but Elijah refused to see him. He thinks that, as the owner of Stark Industries, it would have been Tony’s duty to control Obie’s business conduct. He let him know that he had no desire to do business with an immature and narcissistic man-child who is only interested in his own convenience and pleasure.”

Phil grinned amused. “I already like him.”

“After I took over as CEO I asked Elijah for an appointment to discuss resuming our business. After a little hesitation he received me. He was pretty reserved at first but eventually agreed to do again business with Stark Industries but only on a limited scale.  
However, he made it clear to me that he would only do business with Stark Industries as long as I remained the CEO or if somebody tried to cheat on him a second time.” Pepper smiled weakly. “He also promised me that if this happened, his reaction would not be as friendly and restrained as with Obie’s betrayal. And I believed him.  
On a personal level, he is very respectful and polite. He is one of the few men I encountered, whose eyes always remained on my face and never wandered to my neckline. He never made suggestive or offensive comments about me or tried to belittle me because I am a woman. In terms of his personality, he is unassuming, self-controlled, very careful and precise in the choice of his words and he absolutely never talks about his family.”

“Thank you, Pepper that helps me greatly”, said Natasha.

Pepper hesitated for a moment. “Are you sure he's a criminal? I find Elijah quite even-tempered, he is very nice and you can have interesting conversations with him. He is very educated, has his own opinion but never tries to force it on you.”

“No, we're not sure, that's why we want to meet him”, Phil assured her. “What we do know is that he and a man, we know for sure is a criminal, have access to the same family account. This account has today been closed by Elijah Smith after we investigated it. Because of that there are now certain suspicions against him.”

Pepper sighed. “I trust you, Phil.” She glanced over Natasha’s shoulder and swore under her breath. “Damn it, Kevin Masters is here, Tony’s newest best friend. I swear to you, the guy always looks at me like he wants to eat me.”

“Kevin Masters from Masters Industries?” Natasha asked softly. Pepper nodded. “He does a lot of business on the other side of the law and has there a bad reputation. Murder, human trafficking, anything you can imagine but so far we have not been able to prove anything.  
There are rumours that he is a rival of Klaus Mikaelson in the gang war, he even has lost some of his people through him but unlike his other competitors he has taken no retaliatory measures against Klaus. On the contrary, he appears to be deeply afraid of Mikaelson and does his utmost to avoid provoking him.” Natasha looked confused. “And frankly, that is what puzzles us the most.”

“I'm not surprised that he's a criminal, he's really creepy.” 

The three talked for a few more minutes before Pepper had to take care of her other guests again.

*****

Coulson led Natasha to the dance floor, where they danced together as they had done on so many missions already.

“Elijah Smith just entered the hall”, said Barton's voice in her earplugs. “Pepper has seen him and is now greeting him.”

The two dancing agents turned so that they could watch the meeting unobtrusively.

Elijah held Pepper’s hand in his and said something that made her laugh out loud. Coulson realized that it was Pepper’s sincere laugh, not the false one she used when dealing with people she didn’t especially like. Then he offered her his arm and Pepper willingly hooked herself in before going to one of the tables together.

Natasha watched her target and whispered her first impressions to Barton and Coulson. “He is confident, self-assured, he knows his body and moves very controlled and smooth with it. I would say, he is trained in various martial arts and probably very good. He knows exactly what is happening around him, he is observant.”

Both watched Barton go to the table and offer champagne to the couple, which were deep in conversation.

“Madam, sir, can I offer you something to drink?” Barton balanced with one hand the tray while holding out a glass of champagne to Pepper with his other hand.

Pepper accepted the glass with a smile, she had never seen Barton before and didn't know that he belonged to Coulson and Romanoff. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome, madam. Sir?” Barton was holding out another glass. Their target took the glass and after a quick glance down at Barton's hand, he looked Barton confidently in his eyes. Fury, Coulson and Natasha were the last people, which had seen through to Barton so thoroughly.

“Thank you, Mr.?” The voice was cultivated, controlled and calm.

“My name is Clint”, replied Clint with a practiced smile. “I am your waiter for the evening. If you want something, just let me know.” With a slight bow, Clint left the table, aware of the thoughtful eyes that followed him.

“He knows I'm not a normal waiter”, murmured Clint into the microphone.

“Hm, interesting. Good thing, your disguise is that you were enlisted as additional security”, Phil replied just as quietly.

While a part of Elijah's concentration focused on talking with Pepper Potts, the other part focused on the waiter. The calluses on his hand came not only from a pistol but also from a bow, which was a strange and interesting combination. His eyes had been observant and a little too interested in him.  
Since his arrival at the fundraiser, he had been unable to shake the feeling that somebody was permanently watching him. Whoever it was, understood his job because Elijah hadn’t found him or them out yet. Elijah wasn’t usually as suspicious as Klaus but now he felt very paranoid.

There was also the warning through the bank, in which a small portion of their family assets were stashed in an old account, that a government agency had made inquiries and received information.

Niklaus was the only one, who used it now regularly after he had murdered his other siblings. At least until yesterday, when Elijah had needed a bank account with an older history than usual to buy his new apartment.

Okay, Pepper’s invitation was a few weeks old but that didn’t mean anything. If this government agency managed to get information from his bank than it would be no problem for them to get an invitation to this fund raising too. He was under surveillance, probably because of his access to the account. The question was, what had Niklaus done to get this kind of attention? 

Elijah sighed annoyed internally, his brother really was a pain in the ass. Now he had to deal because of him with the government.

The question was, how much were the organizers in the know about this surveillance. 

Pepper Potts as the CEO of Stark Industries had direct and good contacts with quite a few government agencies, however, she was not the kind of person who would sell him out for her own benefit.  
Not like this twit Tony Stark, who would sell anybody out if it was to his advantage or convenience. Tony Stark presenting himself as the selfless hero, it was almost laughable if it wasn't so sad. 

Elijah wrinkled his nose contemptuously. He noticed how Pepper avoided seeing him straight in the eyes. But she looked more a little ashamed than scared or repelled. Well, this answered his question.

He had kept all the time an eye on the waiter and had also listened to what he said. Most were sentences every waiter would say but sometimes he sounded more like an agent who whispered status reports into a microphone.  
He could be security, but there were these quick and fleeting glances that only were to him and no other guest. And since he hadn't done anything on this event that justified this attention, only one conclusion remained.

Elijah smiled and focused entirely on Pepper again. Sooner or later, those to whom the waiter reported would reveal themselves.

Pepper noticed how distracted Elijah was because of the waiter, who had served them. To be honest, she felt very ashamed for her deception. If someone other than Phil had asked for this favour, she would never have granted it. She only hoped that if Elijah, whom she thought off as a very shrewd man, noticed her involvement, he would forgive her or at least listen to her side of the story, before he ended their friendship permanently.

Elijah smiled at a remark that Pepper had made but somehow there was now a sharpness in his smile that made her a little uncomfortable and reminded her of Masters.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't post yesterday because my new cat had nibbled at the mouse cable, luckily nothing happened to her. I have now ordered a new wireless one and could borrow a mouse from work until I get it.

The current song stopped and some of the dancing couples made their way to the tables, including Phil and Natasha. They went to the table where Pepper and Elijah Smith were sitting.

Pepper saw over Elijah's shoulder the two SHIELD agents approaching and she stood up.

Elijah, always the gentleman, followed her example. He saw the imperceptible tension in Pepper’s body. It looked like he was going to find out who was so interested in him.

“Elijah, may I introduce you to two good friends of mine. Phil Coulson and Natasha Romanoff. Phil, Natasha, that's Elijah Smith, also a good friend of me.”  
Judging from the warmth in Pepper’s voice, they really were friends with her or at least she knew them well enough and liked them. That eased his anger a little and made him somewhat milder towards Pepper and her deception.

Elijah put on one of his trademark smiles, which never revealed anything while he measured up the couple unobtrusively. The woman was young and breathtakingly beautiful, red hair and green eyes that looked older than her age. The man was at least ten years older than the woman, with a beginning baldness, calm grey eyes, who betrayed just as little feelings as those of the woman. Both wore precious clothing and both of them played convincingly rich people, who were here to donate. “It is always a pleasure to meet other friends of Pepper”, he said.

“It is nice to meet you, Pepper has always the most interesting friends.” Natasha’s original plan had been to flirt with Elijah as a girl with too much money and time on her hands, but when she noticed his too knowing eyes, she decided to change her tactic. She just hoped that Phil wouldn't murder her for what she would do next.

Elijah leaned over Natasha's hand and kissed the back of her hand. “Charmed, Natasha.”

Well, that was, what he called a dangerous woman. He felt wistfully reminded of Rebekah, both exuded the same determination, and both had a strength under the seemingly physical weakness that would deeply surprise any man who thought they were easy prey. However, if he judged Natasha correctly, no man who wanted to do her harm, would survive an encounter with her, there was she from the same kind as his sister.

Elijah then turned to the man. “Pleasure to meet you, Phil.”

“Likewise, Elijah”, Coulson replied equally genial. As he shook hands with him, he couldn't feel any tell-tale calluses but the grip was strong and Phil believed that Smith was holding himself back. Brown hair, calm brown eyes and good-looking. He wore an expensive tailored suit that fit him like a glove and which Phil was a little envious about. Smith wore the suit as if he was born in it and would rarely wear anything else.

When Elijah had shook their hands to greet them, he had felt on both hands calluses, which only those developed, who regularly used firearms.

With a directness and honesty that Natasha rarely showed to her marks, she came straight to the point. “We would like to know more about your relationship with Klaus Mikealson.”

Elijah heard clinking as if the suspect waiter had almost dropped his tray. The only sign that Natasha had surprised Coulson, was the imperceptible widening of his eyes, after which neither his facial expression nor his eyes betrayed anymore the slightest emotion. Elijah was really impressed, it was one of the best poker faces he had seen in a long time.

Pepper looked equally baffled at Natasha’s frankness, but then she controlled herself almost as well as the agents. Elijah knew again why he liked her, she was a remarkable woman and much too good for Stark.

Elijah sighed resigned. “What has Niklaus done now again?”

“So you know him?” Coulson asked tensely.

“Yes, unfortunately. He is my younger half-brother.” Elijah grimaced. “My mother had a misstep while she was married to my father. It never made a difference to me but Niklaus... Let’s says, he never believed me when I said this to him and never felt as if he belonged to our family. He is very determined and tends to react in uncontrolled and violent ways if things don't happen according to his wishes.”

“A very kind way of saying that he is a murderous psychopath”, said Natasha, seemingly insulting.

Elijah surprised her by laughing. “A fitting description of my brother. Why don't we take a seat and you can ask me your questions. However, I reserve the right to decide whether to answer them or not, after all, he is still my brother.”

“That is fair”, replied Coulson, who now took the lead in the conversation or rather the interrogation.

Without anyone calling him, the waiter appeared and put four glasses of something stronger than champagne on the table before leaving them alone.

Elijah looked after him with amusement. “He seems to know more than me.”

“Barton is a good and astute observer”, Coulson replied gently. “We are Agents of SHIELD.”

Elijah raised an eyebrow. “I have heard about your organization. How did Niklaus manage to get your attention?”

Now it was Coulson's turn to raise his eyebrows that was unusual. “May I ask where you heard about us?”

“I am a historian and for someone, who can read well enough between the lines, there are hints in the historical records about your organisation”, Elijah replied rather nebulously. After all, he could hardly say that he met Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter and the Howling Commando on a memorable occasion in World War II. After that he had kept an eye on Peggy Carter, she too had been an impressive woman.

Coulson didn't really believe this answer but decided against asking more questions, there were more important questions to ask. “Do you know where your brother is?”

“No, I don’t. Believe me, I would like to know where my brother is.” Elijah's eyes looked icy for a moment. “There is something I would like to discuss with him.”

“Are you involved in his criminal activities?” Natasha interfered again. 

Elijah confused her. The cues, her years of experience took from his body language, said her that he answered their questions seemingly truthfully. But her instinct told her plainly, she only got the knowledge about him, what he wished that she got.   
Natasha knew how good she was in her job. That he was capable of deceiving her so perfectly and completely, worried her profoundly, and if she was honest with herself, it irritated her. Maybe she was capable to read him better, if she managed to break with her provocations his composure.

“Not that I know off. I haven't seen my brother in a few years. Besides, you haven't told me yet what he did.”

“He's engaging for a year now in a gang war in New York City, and it's about guns and drugs”, Coulson replied willingly.

Elijah leaned back in surprise. “Huh, not the answer I expected.” He shrugged. “Maybe he's more bored than I thought.”

Coulson looked pretty stunned. “He is what?”

“Niklaus is easily bored, and he loves to spread chaos.” Elijah looked Coulson straight in the eyes. “But there is more to this. My brother is a lot of things but he is not a fool. Everything he does has a purpose, even if it is not always immediately apparent. There are simpler ways for him to create chaos. Can you tell me more about what he does?”

Coulson hesitated briefly, but then decided to share what they knew so far.

Elijah listened carefully. “Interesting, it seems, he is looking for something.”

“What brings you to this conclusion?” Coulson asked.

“He provokes and waits for reactions of his rivals so that he can act directly against them and kill them. Than he gets in their home and can search for what he is looking for.” Elijah looked lost in thought. “What can you tell me about his rivals?”

Coulson also answered this question.

Elijah frowned and shook his head. “No, it's not their drugs or weapons he is interested in. Do they have something in common, a hobby or a special interest?”

“All of them are collectors of rare objects”, Coulson replied with increasing fascination. Elijah reminded him of Fury with his cold and calculated thinking. He had never met anyone else who came so close to Fury’s way of thinking and cunning. A dangerous man was sitting in front of them and it was better not to provoke him unnecessary. He gave Natasha a stealthy signal to refrain from further provocation.

“Then one of them has something, that he wants but he still hasn't found it yet.”

“Why do you think that?” Natasha asked curious. She had seen Phil’s signal and would follow his command.

“Because he's still here.” Elijah smiled faintly. “My brother is holding back, he doesn't want to attract too much attention. He doesn't run, he disappears. As soon as he has what he wants…”

“He has enemies”, Coulson said apprehensive.

Elijah bowed his head but said nothing more.

“What would happen to New York if his enemies come here?” asked Natasha equally concerned.

Elijah smiled sadly. “The streets of New York would drown in blood, fire, and destruction. Believe it or not, there are much worse men out there than my brother.”

“Yes, I know”, murmured Coulson.

“Would you be in danger from his enemies too?” asked Pepper, worried for her friend.

“Yes, I would share his fate”, Elijah answered bluntly. Michael would never again show mercy to him. The years he had spent in Michael’s captivity after enabling Rebekah’s and Klaus’s escape from New Orleans, had shown him this. He had never told Klaus what Michael had done to him in those years and how Michael had punished him for his loyalty to his brother.

“He is a personal enemy of you and Klaus”, Coulson said thoughtfully.

“A very personal enemy and before you ask, no, Klaus has never done anything to deserve this hate. You can say, his only crime is it to still be alive.” Elijah took his glass and took a big sip of whiskey.

Coulson leaned back in his chair. There had been for a moment an anguish in Elijah's eyes that made him shudder. And a tension that revealed that Elijah spoke from personal experience when he spoke of worse men than Klaus.

Coulson decided to change the subject. “Can you tell me why all undercover agents have memory losses? Has Klaus used this skill before?”

“If he did, I didn’t notice it. But if he has this ability, he could have done it to me without me ever knowing”, Elijah replied. He certainly had no intention of telling the SHIELD agents that he had the same ability as Klaus and that he was one of the very few immune to Klaus’s compulsion.

Coulson nodded thoughtfully, that was logical. “Will we find Klaus in New York?”

“Unlikely”, Elijah said. “My brother is rarely where his opponents assume he is. And even if they find him, either he wants it that way or they will experience a nasty surprise. My brother can become extremely vicious if someone catches him by surprise.”

“Can you give us some further advice how to proceed against your brother?” Coulson asked thoughtfully, he was curious about the answer.

“Yes, but you will neither want to hear my advice nor will you follow it”, Elijah replied with certainty. “Do nothing! Stay out of his business! And to be honest with you, even if I had another advice for you, I wouldn’t give it to you, he is still my brother and I would never betray him. My brother is close to getting what he wants. And depending on how upset he is about the other gangs, he'll give them a hell of a farewell gift.”   
And it would be dangerous for all vampires, if SHIELD got a clue that they existed. Or God forbid, SHIELD getting lucky and managed to capture Niklaus alive. It was possible to surprise his brother and if this happened, it would be a nightmare for everyone involved.

“We can't allow that to happen”, Coulson said horrified.

“I know but that isn't, what I mean”, Elijah replied calmly. “If you go against him he will give up his reluctance to hurt agents of the government too. And I don't want that to happen.”

“Why?” Natasha asked softly.

Elijah smiled. “It would be incredible inconvenient for me. Do you know what a hassle it was, to close such a big account and transfer the money to other accounts? I also just bought a nice apartment, I don't want to give it up again so soon.”

Coulson swallowed, that was an honest if a little emotionless statement. “This is pretty coldblooded.”

“I am a very coldblooded person.” Elijah’s smile was razor sharp and a clear warning to the SHIELD agents not to underestimate or challenge him.


	3. Chapter 3

Barton walked with his tray between the guests to provide them with drinks and at the same time continued to listen to the conversation taking place at the table. 

There was something about Elijah that disturbed him deeply but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. Barton knew that his ability to spot patterns and identify discrepancies in situations was second to none. There was something about Smith that didn’t feel right to him, that didn't make him quite human in Barton’s eyes.

Barton worked during Strike Team Delta’s missions seldom at the ground, mostly he backed up Natasha and Coulson from above or further away, so he never had much contact with people, which he preferred anyway. He didn't know if it was because of this or because it was the first time, he had to deal with such rich people but he felt a similar strangeness from a few of the other guests too, including Masters.

Even though he hadn't been ordered to do so, he kept an eye on Masters and watched how he unobtrusively met the others, who had given Barton the same weird feeling. Their interactions with him didn't look particularly friendly.

For Barton it looked like Masters was trying to intimidate the others. It reminded him a bit of the behaviour of wolves when they were trying to determine their rank among themselves. So far it worked and nobody of them seemed to contest Masters's claim to be stronger than them.

Now, Smith was the only one, Masters hadn’t faced down yet and Barton decided it was time to warn Phil and Natasha. “It is possible that Masters will come to you soon but his goal is Smith. Here is something strange going on, be careful!”

Coulson and Natasha showed no outward sign at Clint’s warning but their eyes searched for Masters. Indeed, he was standing several meters away from them at the bar with a glass of whiskey in his hand, watching their table, his attention completely focused on Smith.

“Copy, Barton”, Coulson replied softly. “Elijah, do you know Masters?”

If Elijah was surprised by this question out of the blue, he didn’t show it. “I never met him personally but I know that he is not a law-abiding citizen. I would even go so far as to call him a vile person.” Not to mention that he was a vampire, who had shut down his humanity, he added in thought, and who thinks much too highly about himself.

“We suspect him to be in a business relationship with Klaus.”

Elijah snorted contemptuously. “I doubt it and If so, then not on equal terms. Let me guess, Niklaus provokes him and Masters backs off, unwilling to defy him?”

“A good description”, Coulson said interested.

“Then he has at least a smidge of survival instinct”, said Elijah amused. He had watched Masters intimidate the other vampires with his higher age and therefore advanced strength. His prestige with the rivalling gangs had certainly gotten a heavy hit because of his permanent backing down against Niklaus, perhaps he wanted so to regain some of his pride. The other gangs would soon react to what they perceived as a show of weakness and try to take over his area.

“Barton thinks, he will come to our table and that he is after you”, Coulson explained, curious about Elijah’s reaction.

“Agent Barton appears to be a man with impressive powers of observation”, Elijah replied, being completely serious about it. He took another sip of whiskey.

“Do you need our help?” Coulson asked. He liked Elijah despite his callous nature, after all, he was best friends with two master assassins. Elijah had been very helpful. Phil wouldn't go as far to call him an innocent but he didn't want him to get hurt either.

“No, Phil, I don't need help against Masters but thank you”, said Elijah, amused and more than a little touched. When Masters backed down from Niklaus, he wouldn’t want to confront Elijah either.

As Masters made his rounds through the room, he listened as the unknown vampire talked to the humans at the table. He soon knew that they were not normal guests but working undercover for a government agency, which investigated Klaus Mikaelson.

The vampire answered their questions willingly and surprising enough, knew quite a lot about Klaus too. He didn’t seem to care that this would make Klaus angry at him. He even claimed to be Klaus’s brother, although nobody had seen Elijah in 50 years. Maybe he could use this vampire to ingratiate himself to Klaus, he would hand him over to him and then Klaus would owe him a big favour.

While he intimidated the other vampires in seeing him as their leader and to follow his orders, he gave them precise instructions. They would compel every guest to leave the party, as soon as Masters had sat down at the table, so that the agents, Pepper Potts and the waiter, who watched him so attentively, would be the only remaining humans in the banquet hall.

When the agent asked if Smith knew him, he took that as his cue. Masters grinned when Smith boasted he didn't need their help. 

“Is this seat taken?” Masters asked slimy as he sat down next to Pepper.

“Looks like you've already anticipated our answer”, Pepper said frostily.

“I was so free.” Masters stared at Smith. “You are getting yourself into big trouble with Klaus, he won't take kindly to you talking to the government.”

“Who cares?” Elijah said dismissively. 

Suddenly Barton sat down next to him in the chair, he was followed to the table by four vampires, which postured themselves behind each of the agents and Petter Potts. Elijah looked to the exit and saw how all the other guests were ushered out by five more vampires.

Coulson looked at Barton and then at the man standing behind him. He completely ignored the man, who was standing behind him. “Barton, report!”

“Masters, whom I had a strange feeling about, and a few others like him, who gave me the same feeling, went to speak to the other guests. They looked them in the eye and ordered them to go, now that the party is over. Then they said to them that they never saw anything and that they had to forget everything, as soon as they had left the hall.   
All guests repeated the words and then did exactly what they were ordered to do. When I wanted to check out what was going on, he influenced me too. He told me, to go to the table and sit down but now I feel free again.” Barton looked a little distraught.

“Forgetting”, Coulson repeated thoughtfully, looking at Elijah, whose face had gone blank and whose eyes now looked icy. However, his displeasure was clearly for Masters.

“Are you completely out of your mind, Masters?” Elijah asked harshly. “How dare you to endanger us all in this way?”

“I didn’t, we erased their memory. Those four we will compel too or kill them”, Masters said disinterestedly. “Or I will give them to Klaus, like I will give you to him.”

Elijah showed now a half-smile and then his eyes transformed for a few seconds in an eerie way.

Coulson felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Next to him, Natasha shifted a little too, a clear sign that she had seen the same as him.

Elijah played casually with his glass, which was now empty. “And why do you think, Niklaus will want me?”

“I think it will be enough that you pretend to be his brother”, Masters replied cheerfully.

“Pretend?” Elijah repeated, now very amused. “Didn't it occur to you that I am indeed Elijah?”

“No, of course not, no one has seen him in many years”, Masters replied condescendingly.

“Young vampires, always so convinced of themselves and lacking of logical thinking”, Elijah murmured disgusted.

The four humans at the table, who had heard everything, exchanged confused looks.

Something beeped in Masters’s pocket, he reached inside and pulled out a phone. He looked at the display and grinned. “It looks like Klaus is interested enough in you to come here.”

“What did you write to him?” Elijah asked unconcerned.

“That an imposter pretends to be his brother.”

Elijah rolled his eyes. “You are an idiot! Niklaus wouldn’t come for someone who pretends to be his brother. You must have written him something else too.”

“I told him I have a moonstone”, bragged Masters.

Elijah closed for a second his eyes to hide the feelings this word evoked in him. “And, do you have one?”

“No, but as long as he thinks I've one of them safely hidden away, he won't harm me.”

“I correct myself, you are an incredible idiot. He will ask you where you hid the stone and you will answer him.”

“He can't compel me like we can compel the humans.”

Elijah chuckled amused but didn't say anything further.

Phil felt certain that Elijah knew something that the other vampire didn't, and he could hardly believe he had just thought that word.

"If you are so sure of that, then let's wait for him." Elijah looked at the exit of the hall, the last humans were now gone. The remaining five vampires slowly approached the table, it was clear that they really didn't want to be here, just like the vampires who were still standing behind the humans. This opened up interesting opportunities that had to be exploited!

“Let us use the time, to clarify once and for all whether I am an imposter or not.” Elijah got up and straightened out the sleeves of his suit jacket.

Masters also got up, convinced that he would emerge as the winner of the following fight.

Elijah started to move. The only one of the humans present who could at least follow one part of his movements was Barton with his exceptional eyesight.

Elijah attacked Masters first and gave him a push that made him fly across the room. He then took care of the vampires at the table and snapped their necks with brutal efficiency, before they had the slightest chance to react.

The remaining five vampires, which were still a little further away, stopped moving. They weren't enthusiastic about their orders anyway, and they were certainly not ready to die for Masters.

Elijah blurred to them and stopped in front of them. “Very reasonable. You have my permission to go.”

One of the vampires looked at the vampires that Elijah had killed temporary. “What's with them? I know them, we just wanted to have a nice evening, nobody of us wanted to harm anyone.”

Elijah looked kindly at the young vampire. “Loyal, a very commendable trait. Once they wake up, they can go too, but Masters stays here with me.”

The young vampire scoffed. “As if I care about him. What about the humans?”

“I'll take care of them. Go, now!” ordered Elijah with a hint of compulsion, his patience was exhausted.

The vampires, though young, now knew who they were dealing with and bowed their heads respectfully before him, then they raced with vampire speed out of the hall.

Elijah blurred to the corner of the room where Masters was just laboriously getting up and snapped his neck too. He needed a few minutes, to talk undisturbed with the humans.

Elijah dragged Masters at the collar of his jacket effortlessly with him and laid him on the floor beside his chair. Then he looked at the humans, who looked at him completely stunned, and gave them a friendly smile. “Who needs a strong drink?”

Without waiting for an answer, he went to the bar and got 2 bottles of whiskey and another glass. After he returned to the table, he opened a bottle and poured everyone plenty in their glass. Without a word, the humans reached for it and emptied it in one go.

Elijah refilled every glass before sitting down again on his chair and sipped from his glass too. “My brother is on the way and it is too late for you all to leave.”

“You killed them”, said Pepper softly, shocked about this sudden outburst of violence, she never would have expected from this man.

“Oh, they are alright. They will wake up in a few minutes with a headache.” Elijah smiled at the humans, completely unaffected from their reactions.

“I knew you weren't human. What are you?” asked Barton, content that his gut instinct hadn't deceived him.

“That's right, it has been a very long time since I was a human”, Elijah replied calmly. “I am like them, a vampire.”

“And your brother is a vampire too. It was him, who did take away the memories of the FBI agents. And now you want to erase our memory too”, said Phil hoarsely.

“My brother is a little more than a vampire and unfortunately I have to do it.” Elijah looked at the humans. “It is dangerous knowledge and you are working for a powerful government agency that is used to dealing with the unusual. I have to protect the more vulnerable of my kind.”

“Why don't just kill us?” Natasha asked harshly.

Elijah shrugged. “I could, but honestly I don't want to for the same reason as my brother, it would attract unnecessary attention. And I have to admit, I like you and don’t want to kill you.”

“Are you capable of that?” asked Phil. “Feelings? Or are you without a soul?”

Elijah laughed cheerfully. "Of course I have still my soul, this is not Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, although they did get a few things right." Masters moaned quietly. "One moment please." He put his foot on Masters’s throat and thrusted down ruthlessly, killing him again.   
Without missing a beat, Elijah continued to talk. “The opposite is the case, our emotions are extremely elevated after our transformation, and we feel everything much more intensely. It causes many vampires to flip their switch because they don’t want to feel anything anymore, just like Masters here.”

“And what about you?” asked Natasha. She was impressed at his ability to compartmentalise his actions and thinking in this way, not even she was able to something like this. Either this man was a sociopath or he simply was so old, that his way of thinking was completely different from the humans of this age.

“I assure you, my feelings are completely intact and functioning. I'm too old, so flipping the switch doesn’t work for me anymore.”

“How old are you then?” Barton asked curiously.

“As much as I would like to answer more of your questions, our time is running out. My brother is coming and our relationship has not been the best in the last 50 years.” Elijah grimaced. “Let me do the talking! I'll do my best to get you out of here alive, but I can't promise anything.” Elijah cocked his head, listening to something, which no other could hear. “It is to late anyway, Niklaus is here."


	4. Chapter 4

With the whooshing sound, which Phil started to associate with Vampires moving at top speed, a tall blond man sat now with them at the table, holding the glass with whiskey in his hand that no one had touched yet. “Hello Brother.”

“Hello, brother”, Elijah replied softly. “How are you?”

“I’m quite busy with lifting my curse.” Klaus smirked at his brother.

“So I have heard.” Elijah nudged Masters with his foot. “This fool offered you a moonstone.”

Klaus leaned over and saw for the first time the vampires lying dead on the floor. “I see you were busy too. What are you doing here?”

“Cleaning up your messes, as usual.” Elijah sounded a little bitter and glared at his brother. “The next time you need money for your criminal activities, please do not take it from our family accounts. I don’t appreciate it, if I’m getting a message from the bank at five o’clock in the morning that a government agency is reviewing our finances and is trying to lock down one of our accounts. Right now I'm very annoyed with you!”

Natasha watched the two brothers carefully, she wanted to learn more about their dynamics. Klaus Mikaelson appeared to her a little less self-controlled than Elijah, so she could read him a little easier. At first she had thought Klaus was the leader between the two brothers, but when Elijah calmly stated how upset he was about his brother’s activities, Klaus flinched imperceptible.

“Is that all you're upset about, Elijah?” Klaus asked crudely, he wanted to cover up his first reaction.

“Oh, there's the insignificant little fact that you dumped our siblings into the ocean.” Elijah smiled grimly at his brother and Klaus went pale. It was never a particularly good sign when Elijah got so direct and tersely with him.

The three agents exchanged looks. Siblings?

“You will tell me the place, where you dumped them”, said Elijah uncompromisingly, it was clearly a demand, not a request.

“I could do that, but it wouldn't help you. I sank the coffins at the deepest point in the Marianne graben.” Klaus smirked at Elijah. “And I pulled the daggers out before I did that.”

For the first time Natasha could see an emotion in Elijah’s eyes, which she believed to be completely honest, he looked devastated and then there was only hatred in his eyes.

“I've forgiven you a lot of things over the years, Niklaus, but this time you've gone too far.” Elijah's voice was calm, but there was now a menace in it, that made the humans shiver with dread and even Klaus looked uncomfortable.  
“Take Masters and go! I hope, you will be successful with the lifting of the curse. But I promise you one thing, at the moment of your greatest triumph I will be there and I will tear your heart out like you did mine.   
You better begin to run, brother, because after tomorrow I will start hunting you. I now perceive you as a threat to my family and you know better than anyone, how I deal with threats to my family.”

Klaus swallowed anxious, he knew that he was now in deep trouble with his brother. He knew very well how his brother reacted if someone threatened his family. It generally ended up with them being bloodily and brutally killed.  
For a moment he considered telling Elijah the truth but then he decided against it. He didn’t want Elijah looking over his shoulder and trying to hold him back. Klaus wanted to finally break the curse, regardless of the consequences.

Phil saw the uneasiness in Klaus’s reaction, clearly he felt a lot of respect for his brother. Like Natasha, he had first thought that Klaus was the more dangerous of the two brothers, but now he had serious doubts about it.  
Klaus would be doubtless the more dangerous in spontaneous situations, but as Pepper had told them, Elijah knew how to hold a grudge and was very consequent in holding his promises. He too had seen the grief in Elijah's eyes and then the hatred when he made his promise. It must be a bizarre feeling for Klaus to know that Elijah now employed this unyieldingness against him, which had previously only been used to his defence.

Klaus got up and picked up the still dead Masters before racing out of the hall. He had to adjust some of his plans now. Klaus hated it if Elijah got this cantankerous, it always made him so unpredictable.

Elijah got up and went to the bar, where he took a bottle of scotch, he emptied half of it in less than five minutes.

When Pepper wanted to get up to go to him, Natasha put her hand on Pepper’s arm and shook her head. She put her index finger on her mouth and looked at all the people sitting at the table. Phil just nodded and Barton looked very thoughtful, he knew everything about shitty brothers. It was better to give Elijah the opportunity and time to regain his composure.

Another ten minutes later they heard groans from under the table and they looked at each other in alarm. What should they do now?

Elijah had heard the groans too and returned to the table, his face now completely unyielding and emotionless.

The vampires scrambled up and looked around in confusion. When their eyes fell on Elijah, they ducked their heads.

“Get out of my sight!” Elijah ordered harshly. He didn’t had to tell them a second time, the vampires disappeared at top speed.

Elijah sat down again, this time there was no smile on his face, and it made him look older and dangerous. “I'll answer each of you a question before I erase your memories. If I don't want to answer a question, you can ask another question. You will only remember that I helped you in your investigation and was not involved in Klaus' criminal activities.”

“What about Klaus?” Phil asked gently.

“He will leave, there is no reason for him to stay here anymore.” Elijah shrugged. “Your investigation will fizzle out, nothing will come out of it.”

“Will Klaus really flee from you?” asked Natasha.

“I don't want to talk about Niklaus anymore”, said Elijah calmly. “I just want this evening to be over. Ask your questions!”

“How old are you?” Barton asked first.

“I am over 1000 years old”, answered Elijah. 

Everyone swallowed, this number was unimaginable to them, but it also explained a lot about Elijah's unique style in dealing with things, his self-control and his ability to deceive Natasha.

“What can kill a vampire?” Natasha asked, always interested in practical knowledge. Elijah turned to her and raised an eyebrow, he didn't have to say anything. Natasha shrugged, she had had to try at least once. “Can a vampire be killed?”

“We may be immortal but we can be killed”, answered Elijah. “Everything that exists has a weakness, there must always be a balance.”

“Are there vampires that are older than you?” Pepper asked softly, still shocked about the secret Elijah had kept hidden from her.

“No, my family and I are the Originals, all vampires are descended from us”, Elijah explained.

“Do you have as an Original different or more skills as a normal vampire?” Phil asked thoughtful.

“Yes and no!” Elijah frowned. “What would kill a normal vampire is an inconvenience for us. Our bodies are practically indestructible and there is only one thing that can kill us, which to my knowledge no longer exists.  
My siblings...” Elijah's voice broke. “They are not dead. Their bodies are now on the bottom of the sea. Klaus said that he pulled the daggers, which were stuck in their hearts, before he dumped them. This means that they will come alive, drown, come alive, drown, and this again and again, forever. I can’t save them! They are unreachable for me, it will be centuries before science is capable of reaching them if ever. There is only one thing, I can do for them now, to give them justice. Sometimes there is honour in revenge.”

Now it was Phil's turn to swallow. No wonder Elijah had reacted so vehemently to Klaus’s announcement.

“To come back to your question, we Originals are stronger, faster, better in everything than normal vampires. As Originals we have the ability to compel other vampires. So Masters will have a nasty surprise, when he wakes up.” Elijah smiled darkly and humourlessly. “You will never see him again.”

“At least a good news”, said Pepper firm.

“I have answered your questions. Who is the first?” Elijah asked.

The humans looked at one another indecisively, then Pepper raised her hand.

Elijah swallowed, then took her hand, which was trembling slightly. “The gala was a success. Nothing special happened. The guests left and we stayed behind. I answered your questions about Niklaus and you are convinced that I had nothing to do with his crimes. At first I was a little angry with you for your deception, but I forgave you. Every time, we want to meet again something will interfere with our plans. We will never meet again!”

Pepper repeated what Elijah had told her, her eyes dazed.

Natasha watched anxiously. It may not be the brainwashing, which the Red Room had subjected her to but it came close enough for her.

Barton, who knew Natasha better, than she wanted sometimes, was the next one, who raised his hand. “Me next! Will it hurt?”

“No”, Elijah replied, knowing that Barton didn’t ask because of himself. “I'm not changing your way of thinking or feeling, I'm taking away a few memories, which is admittedly bad enough, but it's still better than the alternative.”

Natasha swallowed. Elijah was right, surviving was more important than losing a few memories.

Elijah didn't take Barton's hand this time, noticed Phil, which meant that physical contact was not required for compulsion. “You completed your assignment and didn't notice anything that would have alarmed you. Your initial misgivings about me turned out to be exaggerated. In your report on this mission, you will report that I can be dangerous but I am not a criminal and had nothing to do with my brother's crimes.”

Like Pepper, Barton repeated everything Elijah had said.

Phil noticed how Elijah adjusted his compulsion to each of them specifically, he wielded compulsion like it was a scalpel not a blunt instrument.

“Natasha?” Elijah asked, his voice compassionate.

Phil couldn't help wondering how much Elijah really knew about SHIELD and how did he know about it.

“Do it.” Natasha took a deep breath.

“You haven't noticed any suspicious incidents either. You quickly realized that I was not involved in my brother's criminal activities. You knew I kept some secrets to myself but you didn't get the impression that I was deliberately deceiving or outsmarting you. You will report that I am potentially dangerous but that I’m not a threat to SHIELD.”

Natasha repeated Elijah’s words.

Phil was curious to see how Elijah would fine-tune his compulsion in relation to him, although he knew that he would never remember it. Elijah looked at him and Phil nodded, he was ready.

“There was nothing about me that aroused your suspicion. You think I'm dangerous, but you don't think I'm a criminal. You are however not quite sure if I am not in contact with my brother and you will recommend that SHIELD monitors me for some time. But like Natasha you don't think I'm a threat to SHIELD.”

Elijah listened as Phil repeated everything. All four people stared in a daze, their minds still open to his compulsion. “You will now go home and just remember that you had a pleasant evening even it was for a mission. If by chance we happen to meet again, you will remember me. You will be friendly but not too interested. Now wake up!”

The eyes of the four people became clear as if woken from a deep sleep.

During the farewell, Elijah smiled and behaved the way, the humans had first met him. He didn't want to raise their suspicions in the last few minutes.

When he finally stood alone in front of the building, the humans having gone their way, he took a deep breath. Sometimes it was difficult for him to uphold the human facade, especially when there were days like today.

He was tired and only wanted to be alone to grief in peace for his siblings. Against his usual habits he went through the Central Park to get back to his new apartment. Maybe he got lucky and somebody tried to mug him, he was quite hungry.

Tomorrow he would first oversleep and then get his business in order, just in case something happened to him or he had to leave New York prematurely. Then he could start with making the life of his brother difficult, after all, he had a promise to fulfil.


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments and kudos. I had really fun writing this story.

Phil was laying in his bed, with his hands clasped behind his head. Now that he had gotten all his memories back, he used these quiet hours to reminiscence through his cases, to discover if there was anything else that Fury hadn't told him.

Today he remembered chronologically his missions with Strike Team Delta. Finally, he came to his last mission with Clint and Natasha, only a few months before the Chitauri attacked New York, and he had gotten murdered by Loki. The mission hadn't been particular remarkable, they'd gathered information about a gangster boss, they suspected him to either being an enhanced person or that he used a 084. Before they had enough information together to arrest him, the gangster boss had vanished without a trace and never reappeared again.

The gangster boss's half-brother had helped them with their investigation. After he had travelled a few months with the bus, and shortly before the reveal of Hydra, Phil had made inquiries about Elijah Smith and found out that he had probably died in the attack on New York. The building in which his apartment had been, was one of those that had been completely destroyed, no one had ever seen him again after this day.

But the further he followed his memories of the mission, the more they deviated from that what until now he had remembered so far. Finally Phil remembered the moment, when Elijah had told them what he really was. Phil sat up straight in bed.

“Well, I'll be damned”, said Phil stunned. So after all the incredible things, he'd seen in the past few years, there was still something that could surprise him. He laid back in the bed with a smile. Vampires! He had met one real vampire!

Phil had remembered the mission until its end. He was a little angry about how Elijah had compelled them but when he remembered the rise of Hydra, he was glad about it. The way, he had been back then, he would have properly and honestly reported everything and then Hydra would have found out about the existence of the vampires.  
When he imagined what Hydra would have done with this knowledge and beings like the vampires, he felt sick. They would have utilised them as weapons and would have become really invincible.

Phil no longer believed that Elijah was dead either. When Elijah had answered their questions, he had mentioned that he was immortal and his body practically indestructible.

Maybe Skye would find out more if he gave her some search terms, he had Elijah’s and Klaus’s names and the term Original. If Skye found him, there were still a few questions, Phil wanted to ask Elijah. The most important for him was, why could he now remember everything again?


End file.
